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Back in that place

Following the second-consecutive 100-point game for the Bearcats, Mick Cronin and his players admit the special feeling of last year's run to the NCAA tournament has returned.

CINCINNATI
- Cashmere Wright and JaQuon Parker didn't look at each other, but
the same response snapped off immediately when asked if this is the
most fun they've had at the University of Cincinnati.

"Oh
yeah," Wright said.

"Definitely,"
Parker slipped in.

About
nine months prior, only a basketball toss away from the podium where
Parker and Wright made this proclamation following a 101-53 win
against Arkansas-Pine Bluff Wednesday night, Wright and Parker were
among a group that danced on scorers tables and circled Fifth Third
Arena in wake of the most important eight-game run in the Mick Cronin
era.

That
group made a breakthrough some believed would never come and laughed
during every minute of it.

Yet,
on this December evening, only 11 days removed from one of the
ugliest, darkest moments in program history, no doubt remained. This
was better.

"Wasn't
like we wasn't having fun (before)," Wright said. "He's allowing
us to have more fun on the court now. Most of the time we had fun off
the court and on the court it was like business. Now, we are more
free. He's letting us do what he recruited us for."

Some
of them are doing what they haven't done since those recruiting
visits - specifically Wright. He followed up a career high 25
points on Saturday with a career high six 3-pointers Wednesday as UC
hit the century mark in back-to-back games for the first time since
the Ford administration.

Over
the last three contests, Wright is averaging 19 points, 6.3 assists,
4 rebounds and 1 turnover per game. Every point guard in the country
just developed a case of stat-line jealousy.

Records
are falling like 3-pointers. Wednesday was the largest margin of
victory under Cronin. Their 15 3-pointers were most since 2006
against Wofford. Their 16 steals were the most in the Cronin era. The
29 turnovers forced were tied for the most in a Division I game this
season. JaQuon Parker poured in a career-high 17 points. Jeremiah
Davis III finished with 13 for a career high and buried his first
3-pointer. Jermaine Sanders tallied a career high seven rebounds.
Even Alex Eppensteiner knocked down his first shot of the season to
send 4,874 to its feet. Only topped by the Davis 3-pointer from the
corner that guaranteed the 100-point mark.

What's
not to like?

For
these guys, nothing. This isn't just about winning, it's about how
they are doing it. For Wright and company, that's why wins against
Radford and Arkansas-Pine Bluff hold water in comparison to wins
against Louisville and Georgetown.

"Last
year, we had a good team but it was a system," Wright said. "You
throw the ball here, you go to this corner. Now, it is everybody got
their time. Everybody is going to score, everybody is going to play
hard, everybody is going to get their shots. Everybody is happy."

Most
notably, Cronin.

A
coach who spent the first month of the season searching for answers
finally found one. Embarrassed days and nights spent grinding over
how to allow this team to play to potential are temporarily gone.

He
admitted after the game he's never had a team at UC he felt confident
could score like this. Truth be told, he's never had a team like this
- period. Figuring out that last sentence is why UC plows ahead
with three losses and a month of frustration in their back pocket.

This
group playing today is as far from last year's group as can be. That
team was driven by defense and determination. While the 2011 Bearcats
will ultimately reach their goal if they can use those attributes,
the foundation of the team is raining buckets.

"From
the beginning I thought these two teams from this year to last year
are totally different teams," Wright said. "This year is a more
offensive team, last year a more defensive team. When we started off
playing that way, you can't play the same way with a different team.
Right now we are getting a bunch of energy off offense because we
have a bunch of offensive players."

When
asked why they weren't playing that way earlier, Wright correctly
offered up the company line.

"I
don't question him," he said. "That's a question you have to ask
him."

So,
like good scribes, we did. Why wasn't this offense utilized earlier?

"I
don't know," Cronin said. "I'm not smart enough."

All
of the Bearcats look intelligent for now - with ineptitude of
Radford and UAPB on the assist. As Cronin loves to say, the storm is
coming. It's a storm this team thrived in last year. The coach still
believes if it weren't for a tournament draw that placed UConn in
their pod, they had a legitimate shot at the Final Four.

"I
didn't think anybody could beat us but (Connecticut) and they almost
didn't," Cronin said. "That team was locked in. They loved each
other, they were having an unbelievable amount of fun like these guys
are having now."

The
fun, enjoyment and focus disappeared.

"Our
mental state wasn't where it needed to be," Cronin said. "We were
going nowhere fast."

The
smiles, laughs and words of players and coaches the last three games
prove that locked in feeling has returned. And just in time.